STACY GITTLEMAN: Show veterans you appreciate their service

Over the years writing this column, I have interviewed veterans of all generations about how they served their country and what they are doing now to serve their communities.

Victor residents Jack Hennessy and Ted Vangellow shared their stories from World War II and their participation in the Honor Flight Network to visit the memorial built for their sacrifices in Washington, D.C. Greg Cody in Webster plans fundraisers and parades for the American Legion Post 942.

The last troops from Iraq have come home. In the near future, their brethren in Afghanistan will follow. Many returning veterans have wounds that are clearly visible, yet more have psychological wounds that are not as obvious. How can the rest of us, as civilians, show our appreciation and support these brave men and women as they transition back to a new "normal?"

I posed this question to Ryan Flynn and Claude Jordy, two students at Nazareth College who between them have served five tours of duty in the Middle East.

If there is one thing they could ask from their fellow students, it is that they wish to be treated with sensitivity. Don't ask about the details of what they had to do to survive or what they saw in battle. Don't be offended if they seem standoffish at parties or in other crowded situations. Crowds still make them nervous. The best thing we can do is simply thank this newest generation of war veterans for their service, and listen if and when they are ready to talk.

The town of Brighton will publicly thank veterans from every generation as it dedicates its new veterans memorial at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, in Buckland Park, 1341 Westfall Road.

Brighton, along with sponsoring businesses such as Wegmans Food Markets, Pontillo's Pizza, and ABVI Goodwill, also will offer a free veterans appreciation luncheon at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at the Carmen Clarke Lodge at Brighton Town Park, 777 Westfall Road. Event organizers are still seeking sponsors and donations of food and gift cards. For sponsorship information, contact Richard Wagner at (585) 784-5267.

Sandy's effects

As I write this column, the images and stories coming from New York City and the New Jersey shore have been more than a distraction. My parents, who live just a half-mile from the beach on Staten Island, evacuated before a storm surge from the ocean flooded their basement. They will need a new roof. Saltwater has badly damaged their car.

However, they are the lucky ones. Most of their neighbors' worldly possessions lay in a soggy heap on the curb when they returned to their neighborhood. Sandy claimed the lives of at least 14 Staten Islanders, including a man who lived on the other side of a field from my parents' home. This crisis will not disappear in days or even months. If your school or community organization is planning to participate in relief efforts, or if you live in an east-side town and will travel to the affected areas to restore the infrastructure to help Sandy's victims, I would like to help you get the word out.

Knowing the generous spirit of Rochester, I am sure there will be an outpouring of help.